John now has another vision (after these things, 4:1). The picture of Christ in 3:21 presently sitting on His Father’s throne leads into the vision of chs. 4–5. In these chapters John wants to explain in more detail and with more imagery the past act of Christ’s exaltation upon His throne as ruler over the church and the cosmos, which was accomplished by His death and resurrection. John is taken up to the throne room of God, where he sees Christ enthroned along with the Father. The vision shows how Christ’s exhortation to each of the churches to overcome is based on the fact that Christ Himself has already overcome (5:5). The first time their overcoming is compared to Christ’s is in 3:21, where His act serves as the basis for their overcoming and consequent reign. 5:5-6 explains that Christ also overcame by persevering in the midst of suffering and, as a result, was granted kingship (cf. 5:7-13). This kingship is not simply a future reality, but something which began at the resurrection. The fact that chs. 4–5 perceive His kingship as an inaugurated reality is most evident from 5:9-10, where His death and resurrection have resulted in the redemption of believers and their present participation in a priestly kingdom (note the allusion to Exod. 19:6, which also appears in 1:6 and is applied to the present church). This observation obviously necessitates the assumption that Christ also has begun to reign. The contents of this vision, therefore, are closely linked to what has gone before — both the introduction and the letters. Support for the concept of the present reign of believers and hence of Christ also comes from the descriptions of the saints’ white clothing (3:5, 18; 4:4), the saints seated on thrones (3:21; 4:4), their crowns (2:10; 3:11; 4:4), and the image of an “open door” (3:8, 20; 4:1). Also significant is the fact that Christ is said in the letters (3:1) to have the “seven spirits of God” (representing the Holy Spirit), and in the visions His reign from the throne is closely linked to the same “seven spirits” (4:5; 5:6), which appear to be part of the means by which He rules. Believers are motivated to persevere by their present possession of part of their eternal reward, which assures them of their full possession at the last day. Part of the pastoral purpose of chs. 4–5 is that suffering Christians (cf., e.g., 2:8-11, 13) be assured that God and Jesus are sovereign and that the events which they are facing are part of a sovereign plan which will culminate in their redemption and the vindication of their faith through the punishment of their persecutors.
The vision John has is so closely related to that of Daniel’s vision of the Ancient of Days and Son of man (Dan. 7:9-14) that we must conclude he saw much the same thing, was aware of it, and recorded it deliberately with that similarity in mind. Note the following points of comparison:
There are also significant similarities to things Ezekiel saw in his initial vision: four living creatures (Ezek. 1:5; Rev. 4:6), a sea of crystal (Ezek. 1:22; Rev. 4:6), and a throne surrounded by fire on which God is seated (Ezek. 1:26-28; Rev. 4:1-5). Some believe that Ezekiel 1 is the main model for Revelation 4–5. But on the whole these chapters should be interpreted primarily within the conceptual framework of Daniel 7, since the allusions to Ezekiel 1 become less dominant in the ch. 5 vision, but Daniel 7 continues to be present. This has significant interpretative implications, as we shall see.
Chapters 4–5 also reflect the scene of a throne room in a heavenly temple. A temple scene is discernible from several observations:
1After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” 2Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. 3And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. 4And around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. 5And from the throne proceed flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; 6and before the throne there was, as it were, a sea of glass like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. 7And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. 8And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” 9And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11“Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created.”
1 Just as Daniel 7 and Ezekiel 1 commence with introductory vision phraseology, so Revelation 4 begins: After these things I looked, and behold. The first use of the phrase after these things in this verse does not refer to the events of the visions from ch. 4 to the end of the book as coming after the events narrated in chs. 1–3, but indicates only that a new vision is coming after the previous one in chs. 1–3. This is the sequential order in which John saw the visions, but not necessarily the historical order of the events they depict. This is the way the phrase is used in subsequent sections of the book (7:1, 9; 15:5; 18:1; 19:1). As we saw above, it is more than coincidence that v. 1a has its closest and almost exact verbal analogy in Daniel 7:6a, 7a. John’s reference to the first voice he had heard, along with mention of the sound of a trumpet and the phrase in the Spirit (v. 2) all refer back to 1:10, where John was originally commissioned, which shows that he is continuing to obey Christ’s call to proclaim His message (see 1:10-11).
The phrase what must take place after these things is a reference to the vision of Dan. 2:28ff., in which Daniel prophesies the latter-day coming of the kingdom of God, which John sees as beginning to be fulfilled in Christ (see also on 1:19, as well as on 1:5-6, 13-18). The second occurrence in this verse of the phrase after these things, therefore, does not refer to the distant future, as some argue, but to the events between the first and second comings of Christ, including the events unfolding at the very time John was writing. I will show you what must come to pass after these things is apparently used in the same way as in 1:1 and 1:19. We have already seen that the after these things allusion from Daniel in 1:19 and its equivalent “shortly/quickly” in 1:1 indicated that the fulfillment of the Daniel 2 prophecy concerning the establishment of God’s kingdom has begun in Christ and the church. Rev. 4:1 introduces not only 4:1–5:14, but also the rest of the visions in the book (4:2–22:5). It becomes clear, therefore, that all the visions about to unfold concern events throughout the church age, past, present, and future. Some may have already unfolded, others await their fulfillment, and yet others have multiple fulfillments throughout the church age. In this connection, the NT is both consistent and clear in its view that the “last days” or “latter days” started already with the resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:17-21, citing Joel 2:28-32 as fulfilled; 1 Tim. 4:1; 1 Pet. 1:20; Heb. 1:2; Jas. 5:3; 1 John 2:18; Jude 18, etc.).
In these verses, John is ushered into the timeless presence of God and His heavenly court. This places John firmly in the company of OT prophets such as Isaiah (6:1-13) and Micaiah (1 Kgs. 22:19-22), as well as Ezekiel and Daniel. Being ushered into the spiritual, timeless dimension of God’s heavenly council means that the time of the events which he sees in vision may be difficult to determine precisely. All the visions from Rev. 6:1 to 22:5 flow out of the vision in chs. 4 and 5. They are all visions which come from the sealed book of 5:1ff. This means that all these visions probably have a mixture of past, present, and future elements.
2 John’s vision progresses to the point where he is caught up in the Spirit to the heavenly realm. The introductory section of vv. 1-2a concludes with a reflection of the prophet Ezekiel’s repeated rapture in the Spirit. This scene is a reproduction of the angelic council visions involving God’s throne which other OT prophets in addition to Ezekiel had witnessed (note the following allusions to such scenes as Isa. 6:1-13 and 1 Kgs. 22:19ff. in 4:2b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 10a). Like other OT prophets, John is being commissioned and called as a prophet by being summoned into the secret heavenly council of the Lord (see on 1:10-20 for the initial commissioning vision). In his prophetic role, he should go back and communicate God’s hidden purpose to His people and what part they are to have in carrying it out. He has been ushered into the timeless dimension where truth and reality can clearly be discerned. Thus, in vv. 1-2a, John identifies himself again with the prophetic authority of the OT (cf. 1:1, 10, 12, 19-20). Therefore, there is little basis for seeing the phrase “come up here” in 4:1 and John’s spiritual rapture in v. 2 as symbolic of the church’s physical rapture before the tribulation as some commentators maintain.
The first mention of the throne in the Revelation 4–5 vision occurs here in v. 1. According to the similar order of images in Daniel 7 and Ezekiel 1, the image of a divine being sitting on a throne would be suited to either OT context, though further references are made to Ezekiel 1 in the following verses. The divine throne is mentioned seventeen times in chs. 4 and 5 (and a further twenty-one times in chs. 6–22), the purpose being to emphasize the sovereignty of God over all human history. All heavenly beings find their significance in their placement around the throne, and all the earth’s inhabitants are judged on the basis of their attitude to God’s claim to rule over them from this throne. Regardless of how rampantly evil seems to run and to cause God’s people to suffer, they can know that His hand superintends everything for their good and His glory. This is demonstrated by the observation that all the judgments of chs. 6–16 issue from His throne (e.g., 6:1-8 [cf. 5:7], 16; 8:2-6; 16:17). This is of special significance to churches facing persecution, suffering, and the temptation to compromise their faith.
3 Now there is elaboration on particular features associated with the one on the throne. The three precious stones mentioned in v. 3, jasper, sardius, and emerald, collectively represent God’s sovereign majesty and glory, as in 21:10-11, 18-23, and look forward to the fuller list of stones given in ch. 21, where God’s new creation and eternal city are described. The background is found in Ezek. 1:26, 28. Of particular significance is the mention of jasper, the only stone mentioned later in the book in explicit connection with the glory of God (21:11). It is at the head of the list of the twelve foundation stones of the end-time city’s wall in 21:19. The stones intensify the light around the throne by reflecting the unapproachable brightness, and hence glory, surrounding God himself (cf. 1 Tim. 6:16; Ps. 104:2). The rainbow around the throne speaks of God’s mercy, as in the days of Noah, and suggests that, even as God’s judgments unfold, He will be gracious to His true people. Above all else, the rainbow evokes thought of God’s glory, since Ezek. 1:28 metaphorically equates a “rainbow” with “the appearance of the surrounding radiance … the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.” The precious stones, together with the rainbow, are an incipient hint not only that this vision will eventually issue into that of a new creation, but it already portrays the beginning of the new creation in heaven. The precious stones in 21:10-11, 18-23 are part of a depiction of the new creation, and the rainbow is the first revelatory sign of the new creation which emerged after the Noachic flood. That the new creation is inaugurated with Christ’s redemptive work is apparent from 3:14 (see the comments there) and from the use of “new” in 5:9 to describe that work (see “new heaven and earth” in 21:1).
4 The next thing John sees is twenty-four thrones upon which are sitting twenty-four elders. There have been a variety of identifications of these elders. The number twenty-four is significant. As the picture here is of the throne room in the heavenly temple, the elders may be based on David’s twenty-four orders of priests (1 Chron. 24:3-19), twenty-four Levitical gatekeepers (1 Chron. 26:17-19), and twenty-four Levitical worship leaders (1 Chron. 25:6-31), in which case they represent the church at worship. In light of Rev. 21:12-14 (where the apostles and patriarchs are mentioned together in relation to the new Jerusalem), it likely also refers to the sum of the twelve patriarchs and the twelve apostles who, taken together, represent the church in its character as a universal priesthood of believers. The elders cannot be classified as actual redeemed saints, however, for they are clearly distinguished from the multitude of the saved in 7:9-17 (see on 7:13-14). And the fact that they present the prayers of the saints in 5:8 and sing of the redeemed in the third person also distinguishes them from believers.
Remembering that in the letters the angels were identified as representatives of the seven churches and that in Daniel 10–12 angels represent nations, the elders here are to be identified as angelic beings representing the church as a whole, including the saints of the OT. If the four living creatures are heavenly representatives of all animate life throughout creation (as most interpreters think), then the elders are probably heavenly representatives of God’s people. The four living beings represent general creation and the elders the elect of God’s special creation. Also suggesting an angelic identification of the elders is the fact that the angel who reveals the visions of the book to John is referred to as “a fellow-servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book,” all of whom are to worship together (22:9).
Therefore, the reality being conveyed is that the church is represented in heaven by powerful heavenly beings who attend the throne of God, and who therefore hold great power (they have their own thrones and wear golden crowns), which they exercise on our behalf. The elders are angels who operate in a priestly capacity by presenting the prayers of the saints to God (compare 5:8 and 8:3) and by interpreting heavenly visions to people (compare 5:5; 7:13 and 10:4, 8; 19:9; 22:8). This further reflects their Levitical priestly identification noted above, especially since the throne room vision of chs. 4–5 is also to be understood as occurring in the heavenly temple (note that the visions of Ezekiel 1 and Isaiah 6, both alluded to throughout chs. 4–5, are set within the context of a heavenly temple).
In this light, v. 4 is a development of the ideas of the previous chapters concerning the saints’ participation in a heavenly temple (1:13, 20; 2:12) and possession of crowns, white clothing, and dominion, which in their fullness will be granted them if they persevere (cf. 2:10, 26-27; 3:4-5, 11, 18, 21). As in chs. 1–3, the church is pictured in such angelic guise to remind its members that already a dimension of their existence is heavenly, that their real home is not with the unbelieving “earth-dwellers,” and that they have heavenly help and protection in their struggle to obtain their reward and not be conformed to their pagan environment. One of the purposes of the church meeting on earth in its weekly gatherings (as in, e.g., 1:3) is to be reminded of its heavenly existence and identity, and this to occur in part apparently as it models its worship on the angels’ and the heavenly church’s worship of the exalted Lamb, as vividly portrayed in chs. 4–5.
5 John witnesses next flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder coming from the throne — the same as Moses beheld in Exod. 19:16. This phrase is repeated in 8:5; 11:19; and 16:18, all of which have to do with God’s judgments. This becomes significant in light of the way many of the plagues of Revelation are clearly modeled (as we shall see) on those of Exodus. This then may serve as assurance to suffering Christians that their God is sovereign and has not forgotten them, because He has not forgotten their persecutors, whom He will surely judge by fire (e.g., 19:20; 20:9-10; 21:8).
The structural order of Dan. 7:9ff. and Ezek. 1:26ff. lies in the background, since both use fire metaphors following the mention of a throne and its occupant. The seven lamps of fire is the vision seen by Zechariah, where there is a vision of seven lamps in a temple, followed by its interpretation (Zech. 4:2-3, 10; so Rev. 1:12, 20) and associated with the Spirit of Yahweh (Zech. 4:6). The significance of the seven temple lamps in relation to the work of the Spirit is developed in 5:6 (see the comments there).
6-8a The vision continues to unfold. The sea of glass like crystal may be the heavenly equivalent of the massive “bronze sea” in the courtyard of Solomon’s temple (2 Kgs. 25:13; Jer. 52:17, 20), since chs. 4–5, as we have seen, portray a vision of the temple in heaven. More prominently in view, however, is that this sea is the heavenly version of the Red Sea, for we find the same “sea of glass” mentioned in 15:2, where the victorious saints are standing on it singing the song of Moses. The two passages are also linked by the application of the notion of “overcoming” to heavenly beings or to people who “stand” either on or by the sea. Perhaps the most prominent background for the image of the sea is that of Ezek. 1:22 (which is confirmed by the wording there, “something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal,” and by the preceding Ezekiel 1 allusions already observed). The Red Sea represents the obstacle to freedom, and the OT presents it as the dwelling place of the dragon or sea monster (Isa. 51:9-11; Ps. 74:12-15; Ezek. 32:2). The concept of “sea” in Revelation represents the reality of evil (13:1; 15:2; 16:3; 21:1, on which see; as well as in the concept of the “abyss” in 11:7). This thought receives support from the model for these chapters in Daniel 7, since the sea as a picture of the beast’s origin is a significant feature there. The beast comes out of the sea (Rev. 13:1), which is equated with the “abyss” in 11:7. 4:6 gives a picture of the stilling of the hellish waters from the heavenly perspective, though the devil wreaks his wrath even more furiously on earth because he has been decisively defeated in heaven (see further on 5:6b; 12:12; 13:3). This is the calming of cosmic “D-Day,” wherein the saints’ redemption from the devil is accomplished; the devil’s final, complete defeat awaits “mopping-up” operations by the saints and Christ’s final coming in judgment at the end of history, the final “V-Day.” The Lamb’s overcoming has also paved the way for the saints’ overcoming of the beast at the same sea, as pictured in 15:2-4. In the new Jerusalem, there is no longer any sea (21:1). God has now stilled these demonic waters and established His throne over them. In contrast to the sea, stilled like crystal, the river of life, clear as crystal, now flows freely from His throne (22:1).
Before the throne John sees four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind, each one of them having six wings. There are both similarities and differences between John’s vision and the related visions of Ezekiel and Isaiah. Ezekiel saw similar creatures (cherubim); each had four faces with many eyes but only four wings, which formed part of the base of the throne (Ezek. 1:1-28; 10:1-22). Isaiah saw six-winged creatures called seraphim which stood above the throne (Isa. 6:1-7). The living beings here are said to be in the center and around the throne or in the midst of the throne, which probably means that they stood near it. This is elucidated further by noticing that later in the book the living beings fall down in worship before the throne (5:8; 19:4). The cherubim/seraphim-like angels and the creatures here would seem to represent a similar high order of angelic beings.
Some have interpreted the four figures as symbolizing the fullness of life and power inherent in the divine nature, since each of the animals listed is the head of its species. It is likely that the four figures are designed to be representative of the whole created order of animate life. The multitude of eyes in the living beings signifies divine omniscience, signifying that they are God’s agents. In the light of 5:6 and 5:8ff., the living beings must also be seen as servants of the Lamb. They are mentioned in ch. 4 not only because they form part of the eternal royal entourage around the heavenly throne, but also because they inaugurate the judgments upon mankind and continue to mediate those judgments until the final consummation (cf. 6:1-8; 15:7). Their knowing eyes search the earth, and they execute punishments only upon those who truly deserve them. For the discerning reader, these living creatures are an encouragement to keep persevering under persecution, knowing that God is acutely aware of their plight and is already in the process of taking action in their favor and against their persecutors (as chs. 6ff. reveal).
The four living creatures may be symbolic rather than literal descriptions of heavenly creatures, a supposition suggested by the various differences between the visions of John, Ezekiel, and Isaiah. If the “book,” “seals,” “lion,” “lamb,” “horns,” and “seven eyes” are all symbolic, so likely also are the other features of the vision in chs. 4–5. The same symbolic assessment is probably true with respect to the twenty-four elders. This does not mean what John was seeing is unreflective of the heavenly reality, merely that the pictorial representation should not be taken literally.
8b The hymns of vv. 8b-11 interpret the preceding vision (vv. 2-8a). The vision of God on the throne surrounded by heavenly beings, fire, and a sea is interpreted to mean that He is holy (v. 8b) and sovereign over creation (vv. 8b, 11b), which demonstrates His “worthiness” (v. 11a) to be praised, worshiped, and glorified (vv. 9-11). The hymns make explicit the main point of the vision and of the whole chapter: God is to be glorified because of His holiness and sovereignty. Also in this section is found the reason that the four living beings represent the whole of animate life. They are performing the function which all of creation is meant to fulfill. That is, all things were created to praise God for His holiness and glorify Him for His work of creation. The twenty-four elders specifically represent redeemed humanity’s purpose to praise and glorify God, which is actually carried out, not only by them in heaven, but also by the true community of faith on earth.
Like Isaiah’s seraphim (Isa. 6:2-3), the elders speak out praises to the Lord God Almighty, never ceasing to say Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come. Isaiah 6 was drawn into the vision in vv. 8-9 because its scene of a theophany in the heavenly temple has such striking likenesses to that of Daniel 7 and Ezekiel 1. The threefold name for God, the Lord God, the Almighty, is based on its recurrent use in the LXX (Amos 3:13; 4:13; 5:14-16; 9:5-6, 15; Hos. 12:5; Nah. 3:5; Zech. 10:3; cf. Mal. 2:16). The second name for God, the One who was and is and is to come, expresses an idea of divine infinity and sovereignty over history. In the light of 11:17, the last clause of the formula, the One who is to come, expresses a future, once-occurring eschatological coming of God (see also on 1:4 for discussion of this threefold name). The point of this threefold temporal phrase is to inspire confidence in God’s control of all the details of history and to instill courage to stand strong in the face of whatever particular difficulties test our faith.
9 The fact of God’s sovereignty is expressed once more by the statement that the living creatures, again like Isaiah’s seraphim (see Isa. 6:1), give their praise to Him who sits on the throne. This declaration of God’s power is made in the heavenly court of the temple throne room, but this authority, which is far more than an abstract idea, will be rigorously enforced on earth. Thus suffering saints throughout history can be comforted by this heavenly vision.
10 This worship of the living creatures sets off a further round of worship by the elders. Both the creatures and the elders are said to worship Him who lives forever and ever, the same term (“Him who lives forever”) by which both Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 4:34) and the linen-clad angel (Dan. 12:7) refer to God. This expression of God’s eternity further emphasizes the divine attribute mentioned in v. 8 in the threefold title “who was and who is and who is to come.” In both Dan. 4:34 and 12:7, “Him who lives forever” is intended as a contrast with the temporary reigns of evil kings, whose rule is taken away because they have arrogated to themselves claims of deity (Dan. 4:30-33; 11:36-37) and have persecuted God’s people (11:30-35; 12:7). Both passages in Daniel contrast this everlasting God with evil kings who rebel against God and persecute His people, but are eventually brought low (Dan. 4:33; 11:36), the same situation of persecution faced by suffering saints both in the seven churches and ever since. This is a warning to compromisers not to worship pagan gods or kings who take for themselves titles which belong only to the true God. Christians are now trampled underfoot by such evil powers, but eventually will be vindicated by God and so are now encouraged to persevere in the midst of adversity, even though they are presently no match for their oppressors.
11 That such a contrast between God’s eternal kingship and that of temporal rulers is meant in v. 10 is apparent from the striking similarity of the divine title our Lord and our God to the title dominus et deus noster, which became a way of addressing the emperor Domitian, in whose reign John received his vision. This verse commences the elders’ praise of God, which is closely parallel to 5:12-13. The basis for the exclamation in v. 11a is given in v. 11b, where God is said to be worthy of the glory and honor and power ascribed to Him because He is the Creator of all things. The basis of the praise is twofold: God’s creation is based solely on His will and proceeds from it, and God’s power is revealed through creation, as demonstrated by the praising recognition of His created beings. The elders’ praise is concluded with the phrase because of Thy will they existed [were] and were created. It is best to view the first verb as referring to God’s ongoing preservation of the created order and the second to the overall act of creating all things at the beginning of history: “they continually exist and have come into being.”
The fact that the elders refer to God’s ongoing preservation of the universe before His original creation of it is meant to remind believers pastorally that everything that happens to them throughout history is part of God’s created purposes. God has not retired from His throne. He initiated history and is still very much in charge of it, in spite of what appearances sometimes suggest. His people must trust in this fact so that, even when they experience suffering, they can rest assured that it has a redemptive purpose and is according to His will. But how does God carry out His plan on behalf of His people? Ch. 5 explains how: through Christ’s death and resurrection and ongoing rule over all things, and through the Spirit whom He gives to his followers. The chapter builds to a crescendo in the giving of glory to God, which is the main point of the chapter and the central focus of heaven and should thus become the central focus also of the church on earth. God’s people should remember that God is orchestrating history not to make them great but to make His name great and glorified.
On the significance of the throne of God. In this vision John is ushered into God’s throne room. One of the ways Revelation emphasizes the sovereignty of God is through its frequent use of the word “throne.” The great majority of NT references to the throne of God occur in Revelation. The entire universe is pictured as having its center in God’s throne, with angelic and human creatures subject to the One who sits on it. All the judgments of the subsequent chapters issue from the throne. How do we express our understanding of God’s sovereignty in our day-to-day lives? Does it do justice to the vision John saw? Do we in practice live with a weak view of God’s sovereignty? Revelation also depicts the activities of the enemy and his agents. How do we distinguish between what God has decreed and what the enemy is doing? What is the nature of their “interrelationship”? (we shall address this explicitly in our comments on 6:1-8). How can a strong theology of God’s sovereignty bring both comfort and biblical perspective to those who are suffering? How can a weak view lead us into confusion and despair?
On the reality of heavenly beings. John witnesses a scene of worship involving the elders and the living creatures. Although his depiction is symbolic rather than literal, it is nonetheless real, in that real beings are portrayed with real functions. As subsequent chapters reveal, in addition to their role in heavenly worship, the elders present our prayers and interpret heavenly visions to believers, while the living creatures administer judgment throughout the earth. How often have we taken seriously the existence of these beings? Have we relegated them to the realm of biblical allegory? What have we lost because of that? How does a western worldview affect our ability to understand and receive biblical truth of this nature?
On the nature of heavenly worship. The primary function of the heavenly beings is to worship God. Indeed, it seems that worship is one of the main activities of heaven. Why did God reveal this scene of worship to John (and hence to us)? If the elders represent the OT worship leaders, a strong connection is established between earthly and heavenly worship. How does the focus of heavenly worship as revealed here — the glorification of God — set a standard for our worship? Can we use what we see of heavenly worship here to help us in our understanding of what earthly worship should be? How does it affect the substance of what we say, pray, or sing? How do we work out the differences between outward forms of worship, which may be relative (styles or types of music, for instance), and the inward heart of worship (its focus on Christ and on God), which must never change? Do we argue in our church over outward forms of worship while missing its true nature and intent? And is it possible, if we sought to model our own worship, whether individual or corporate, on what is portrayed here, that, as we declared the same truths about God as the heavenly beings do, the same Holy Spirit who is pictured as being before the throne would deepen and transform our understanding of God and His glory in a way that touches our whole being, in its spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and even physical components?
1And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. 2And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?” 3And no one in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look into it. 4And I began to weep greatly, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look into it. 5And one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” 6And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. 7And He came, and He took it out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book, and to break its seals; for You were slain, and did purchase for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10And You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” 11And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 12saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” 13And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” 14And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
1 The heavenly scene of worship portrayed in ch. 4 continues uninterrupted. The One seated on the throne is now pictured with a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. This book represents the judgment of God, as the following chapters reveal. The idea of judgment also comes from the allusion here to Ezek. 2:9b-10, where there is a book containing judgments against Israel. That this book is further described by the phrase sealed up with seven seals shows that it appears to be a merging of Dan. 12:4, 9 and Isa. 29:11, both of which refer to sealed books which conceal divine revelation and are associated with judgment. Perhaps the book should also be related to the opened books of judgment Daniel saw in God’s heavenly court (Dan. 7:10), into which the Son of man comes to take up His eternal kingdom (Dan. 7:13-14). Indeed, the opening of the book comes into view in the next verse (v. 2). These OT “book” passages about judgment have been merged to highlight the idea of judgment. It should be recalled that 4:1–5:1 follows a structural outline identical to that of Dan. 7:9ff. and Ezekiel 1–2 (see above on ch. 4). The following analysis of 5:2-14 reveals that the outline of Daniel 7 continues to be followed, rather than that of Ezekiel 1–2. Further, while all allusive influence to Ezekiel 1–2 does not disappear in 5:2-14, more numerous allusions to Daniel 7 occur. The presence of all these OT backgrounds enhances further the notion of judgment with which this vision is saturated.
2 An angel now appears on the scene. The portrayal of the angelic questioner (And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice) contains echoes of the angelic spokesman of Dan. 4:13-14, 23, who likewise came down from heaven and proclaimed aloud. He addresses the cosmos, asking for someone who is worthy or able or has the authority to step forward to open the book and to break its seals. Not only are the descriptions of the two angels verbally alike, but the angels also have the same kind of role. The Danielic angel is a divine spokesman for a heavenly council who proclaims a decree of judgment followed by restoration with respect to Nebuchadnezzar. The angel of Revelation 5 is also a spokesman of a heavenly council, who makes proclamation about a divine degree of judgment and redemption with respect to the cosmos. The implication of both proclamations in their contexts is that no created being except God possesses the worthiness and authority to be sovereign over history and to execute His cosmic plan. Daniel was ordered by the angel to “seal up the book” recording these divine judgments until the “end of time” (Dan. 12:4) or the “end time” (Dan. 12:9), phrases equivalent in Daniel to the “end of the days” or “latter days” (Dan. 2:28).
These latter days, as we have seen, are understood by John to have been inaugurated by the resurrection of Christ (see on 1:19). Thus we should also expect that Daniel’s book has been unsealed by Christ. The mighty angel who comes forth here asks, Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals? This continues the thought of the end-time unsealing of Daniel’s book. It is important to note that Daniel 7 and 12 are the only places in the OT where the sealing and latter-day unsealing of books are mentioned, and John is clearly witnessing the fulfillment of Daniel’s five-hundred-year-old prophetic vision.
Some have seen the book as the Lamb’s “book of life” (cf. 3:5; 13:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27), but when the book’s contents are revealed in the following chapters, they have to do not merely with events surrounding the elect but also and especially with judgments upon unbelievers. Furthermore, the books of Daniel 7, Daniel 12, and Ezekiel 2–3 have to do principally with events of judgment, which are then followed by the salvation of God’s people. Others understand the book to represent the scroll of the OT. Christ alone is able to unlock (open) the true meaning of the OT, since its prophecies have found fulfillment in Him. However, against this view is the observation that the books of Daniel and Ezekiel do not symbolize the OT itself, but allude primarily to decretive events of judgment, as noted above. Still others view the book as containing the retributive events of a yet future tribulation leading up to the second coming of Christ, the consummate salvation of the saints, and the final judgment. However, this commentary has attempted to demonstrate that the events of the visions pertain not only to the eschatological future but also to the inaugurated latter-day period, including the past and present. We especially have seen this to be the case in our discussion of 1:1, 19 and 4:1.
The book is thus best understood as containing God’s plan of judgment and redemption, which has been set in motion by Christ’s death and resurrection but has yet to be completed. The question of the angelic spokesman concerns who in the created order has sovereign authority over this plan. That the book represents authority in executing the divine plan of judgment and redemption is clear from the parallelism of the hymns in 5:9-10 and 5:12. The former interprets Christ’s worthiness to receive the book as indicating His authority to redeem His people and establish them as kings and priests. The latter hymn (5:12) interprets the Lamb’s reception of the “book” mentioned in vv. 9-10 more generally as His reception of “power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing,” thus showing that His receiving the book has given Him sovereign power. The first hymn points to the book being a testament or will which contains an inheritance to be received (see further below), which is then interpreted as sovereign power in the hymn of v. 12.
God promised Adam that he would reign over the earth. Although Adam forfeited this promise, Christ, the last Adam, was to inherit it. A man had to open the book, since the promise was made to humanity. Yet all are sinners and stand under the judgment contained in the book. Nevertheless, Christ is found worthy because He suffered the final judgment as an innocent sacrificial victim on behalf of His people, whom He represented and consequently redeemed (5:9). This legal picture breaks down in part because Jesus is both executor and inheritor of the promise. Nevertheless, this should not provide a great difficulty, since the book of Hebrews portrays him both as priest and sacrifice, and Revelation itself presents Him as both Lord and temple at the same time (cf. Rev. 21:22).
The book thus represents a covenantal promise. The extensive nature of the book primarily includes God’s plan of redemption and judgment formulated throughout the OT, which encompasses the development of all sacred history, especially from the cross to the new creation. It concerns a predestined plan which is eschatological in nature, since the contents of the book are revealed in chs. 6–22 and are summarized in 4:1 as “what must take place after these things,” a Danielic allusion to the end time. What is decreed concerning redemption and judgment is delineated in detail throughout the visionary section of Revelation: Christ’s sovereignty over history, the reign of Christ and the saints throughout the course of the church age and in the new cosmos, Christ’s protection of His people who suffer trial, His temporal and final judgments on the persecuting world, and so on. Once the seals are opened, the readers can understand the decretive nature of the book and therefore the purpose of history. Despite their present suffering amidst the chaos and confusion of the world, there is an ordered plan which cannot be thwarted and is, indeed, already being fulfilled.
Biblical scholars have debated whether the book represents a scroll or a codex (the forerunner of our modern book). If it is a codex, each seal could enclose a section of the book, with the contents revealed segment by segment as the seals are broken. Thus the seven seals could, taken together, as this commentary argues, unfold the whole course of history from Pentecost until Christ’s return. But if it is a scroll, it is argued by some, only when all the seals are broken can the contents be identified. This argument is advanced by futurist commentators who see the sets of judgments operating in chronological sequence rather than in tandem. Hence, the seven trumpets of chs. 8–9 would represent the contents of the book (following the breaking of the seventh seal in 8:1) and would portray events following those depicted in the seal judgments, as opposed to the view we adopt, which sees the contents of the seals and the trumpets as different visions portraying the same events.
The codex appears to have been used more commonly at the end of the first century than the scroll, though the allusion to Ezek. 2:9-10 in v. 1 suggests that a scroll with writing on both sides is in mind (see also the allusion to the scroll of Isa. 34:4 in 6:14). But even if John did see a scroll, the contents of scrolls were often summarized on the outside by means of seals (representing witnesses), in which case, the breaking of each seal would release the fuller revelation of what is summarized on each. This may be in mind in 5:1-2 through the phraseology of “a book written on the back, sealed with seven seals,” which a “worthy” person could “break,” as our following comments will suggest further. Therefore, the unloosing of each seal could indicate the revelation of a detailed part of what was written in the document. Furthermore, it has been shown that the construction of some scrolls allows for part of the content to be revealed with the breaking of each seal. This would mean that the book’s contents would begin to be revealed in chs. 6–7 instead of later in ch. 8. Thus the issue of whether the book is a scroll or codex is irrelevant for determining when the contents of the book are revealed, and thus the presence of a scroll no longer in itself supports the argument of the futurists.
But John may have seen a Roman will. Such wills were witnessed (sealed) by seven witnesses, and the content sometimes summarized in writing on the outside of the document. Only upon the death of the testator could the will be unsealed and the legal promise of the inheritance be executed. A trustworthy executor had to be found to put the will into effect. This picture fits the description of the book in 5:1 very well. Sometimes in the Roman world legal documents were doubly inscribed: the contents were written in summary form on the outside to protect against changing or falsifying the document. If this is what John is seeing, the abbreviated version on the outside may represent what God revealed in the OT (even Daniel had some knowledge of the contents of the sealed book: Dan. 10:21), while the breaking of the seals denotes not only a fuller revelation of prophetic fulfillment in Christ but also the execution of the contents. Therefore, the question posed by the angelic being and the response in vv. 2-4 concern who is able, not only to unveil the full contents of the document together with their meaning, but to put those contents into force. Although most futurist commentators disagree, the argument of this commentary so far is that ch. 5 portrays a vision of inaugurated fulfillment of OT prophecy. Whereas the divine response to Daniel’s question about the consummation of history (how and when the prophecies would be fulfilled) was that the book was sealed up until the end time, now the answer finally comes and it is explained that the historically conclusive work of Christ’s death and resurrection have begun to fulfill Daniel’s prophecies, so that now the seals have been removed.
3 There is only silence in response to the angel’s question. No one in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book. All are sinners and under the judgment of God. The image of the opened book from Daniel 7 found in v. 2b continues to hover in the writer’s thoughts in this verse.
4 As a consequence of the fact that no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look into it, John weeps. He is in despair because it appears to him that the book’s seals cannot be broken and that God’s glorious plan will not be carried out. Perhaps he feared momentarily that even the Lord Jesus has been found unworthy.
5 But his despair is short-lived, as a declaration comes from one of the elders that the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:8-12), the Root of David (Isa. 11:1-10), has overcome and can open the book. Both OT titles concern the prophecy of a Messiah who will conquer his enemies and judge them. Christ’s overcoming of the enemy places Him in a sovereign position to effect the divine plan of redemption and judgment, as symbolized by the opening of the book and its seals. The fact that Christ has overcome is the basis for the exhortation to the believers in the seven churches to overcome, by His grace, in their daily lives.
6 V. 6 is crucial to understanding how the “Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has overcome.” John sees a Lamb as slain (not “as if slain” as in NASB) standing (literally) in the midst of the throne. In the midst of is a figurative way of referring to the inner court area around the throne. Slain is an allusion both to the Passover lamb and also to Isaiah’s prophecy of the lamb led to slaughter (Isa. 53:7), both pictures pointing to Christ’s sacrifice which accomplishes redemption and victory for God’s people. The sacrificial victim’s prophesied sinlessness in Isa. 53:9 partly underlies the “worthiness” of Jesus in 5:9 (“Worthy art You … for You were slain”). The slain Lamb represents the image of a conqueror who was mortally wounded while defeating an enemy. The Lamb’s seven horns signify its power (Deut. 33:17; Ps. 89:17). The picture here seems particularly to refer to Daniel 7, where the horn of the beast makes war against the saints (7:21). In John’s vision, the Lamb makes a mockery of the prophesied apparent victory of the beast by showing that true power belongs to the One who was slain, the number seven indicating the fullness of that power.
This verse, with the slain Lamb elevated to the throne of God, describes Christ’s death as not only redeeming humans, but also conquering the power of the enemy. His enthronement is a reference to His resurrection and ascension into heaven. The theme of this chapter is that Christ, as a Lion, overcame by being slaughtered as a Lamb. This is confirmed from 5:9, where the slaying of the Lamb, together with His redemption of people and establishing them as a “kingdom and priests,” is a basis for His worthiness and thus also for His overcoming. The phrase standing as slain is two Greek perfect participles, which express an ongoing reality or state. The Lamb continues to exist as slain to indicate the ongoing victorious effect of His redemptive death. Christ’s death — as well as the ongoing sufferings of the church — have been and are continually being turned into victory. The reason John sees the Lion conquering as a slain Lamb is to emphasize the centrality of the cross. Christ’s overcoming began even before the resurrection through His death. His overcoming is like that of His people: He conquers in the same way in which His people conquer (3:21). Whereas in chs. 1–3 a number of titles are applied more or less equally to Jesus, the predominant title for Him in chs. 4–22 is “Lamb” (27×). It was in an ironic manner that Jesus began to fulfill the OT prophecies of the Messiah’s kingdom: strength coming through weakness. Through this vision, believers are reminded that their victory also will only come about as they follow the way of the cross. That is why saints are described as those who “follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (14:4) and have “washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb” (7:14). As an innocent victim, He became a representative penal substitute for the sins of His people. While He was suffering the defeat of death, He was also overcoming by creating a kingdom of redeemed subjects over whom He would reign and over whom the devil would no longer have power.
The seven eyes of the Lamb refer to the “seven eyes” on a stone set before Joshua the high priest, which are directly related to the removing of “the iniquity of that land in one day” (Zech. 3:8-9). In Zech. 4:2, 6, 10, the “seven lamps” and the “seven eyes” are associated with God’s all-powerful Spirit. This conveys the notion not only of omniscience but also of sovereignty (as with “the eyes of the Lord” in 2 Chron. 16:9, where they “move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His”). The seven Spirits of God (= the seven burning lamps) are thus a figure of speech for the fullness of God’s Spirit and have formerly been confined to the heavenly throne room (1:4, 12; 3:1; 4:5), implying that they are agents only of God as He operates throughout the earth (cf. Zech. 4:10, as well as Zech. 1:8-11; 6:5). But as a result of Christ’s death and resurrection, these spirits also become Christ’s agents in the world. The Spirit carries out the sovereign plan of the Lord (see further on 1:12; 11:4).
7 The Lamb now approaches the throne and takes the book from God (He took it out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne), even as the Son of man came before God in Dan. 7:13-14 and received authority to rule over all the nations of the earth. The resurrected and ascended Lamb takes His seat beside the Father (3:21) and begins to rule. More precisely, He exercises the Father’s reign which has now been handed over to Him, as 6:1-8 shows (and as elsewhere in the NT, e.g., Acts 2:32-36; 1 Cor. 15:27; Eph. 1:20-22; Heb. 1:1-5).
8 Beginning with this verse, the effects of the Lamb’s reception of authority are stated. Next unfolds a scene of heavenly worship, in which the living creatures and elders fall down before the Lamb as they have done before God Himself (4:9-11), thus clearly indicating the divinity of the Lamb. The phrase having each one a harp, refers grammatically only to the elders and not to the living creatures (incorrectly translated in NIV and NASB), which is appropriate in that the elders alone (being partly modeled on the twenty-four orders of Levites commissioned to give thanks and praise the Lord in 1 Chron. 25:6-31) have the priestly duty of presenting the prayers of the saints before God. The prayers of the saints, referred to again in 6:10 and 8:4, call for the judgment of God upon evildoers and His deliverance of the righteous. This picture brings assurance to the church that a powerful angelic ministry is operating in heaven on their behalf, even though the church is still suffering on earth.
9 Vv. 9b-10 express the content of the new song of the elders: Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. This song is, according to its OT roots, a “new song” of praise for God’s victory and His judgment of the enemy (Pss. 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; and especially Isa. 42:9-10, which speaks of the “new song” in relation to the prophetic purposes of God which will burst forth upon the earth).
The word new associates Christ’s redemptive work with the beginning of a new creation for four reasons: (1) because this vision flows out of explicit mention of God’s work of creation in 4:11, (2) because the following hymns in 5:12 and 13 about Christ and His redemptive work are explicitly paralleled with the hymn in 4:11 about God’s work of creation, (3) because “new” describes the coming renovated creation three times in ch. 21 (vv. 1-2, 5), and (4) because “new” may be developing the hint of new creation already found in 4:3 (see the comments there).
The hymns in vv. 9-12 emphasize Jesus’ deity since the Lamb is addressed there in the same way as God is in 4:11 and 5:13. The worship in general given the Lamb in vv. 9-13 demonstrates His deity since John implies elsewhere that worship is due only to God (22:9). The symbols of the “book” and “seals” in v. 9b connote the authority which the Lamb is worthy to receive. The sense of “worthy” is explained further in vv. 9c-10, where the basis (“for”) for the Lamb’s worthiness to receive authority is stated. This is first seen in Thou wast slain, which is a continuation of the Passover–Isaiah 53 lamb idea of v. 6. The Lamb’s overcoming through death is a presupposition for His worthiness to receive sovereign authority. Although the following verb purchase could denote a result of the slaughtering of the Lamb, it is best seen as providing another basis for the reception of authority. The hymnic interpretation (vv. 9-14) of the vision (vv. 1-8) underscores Christ’s death, not His resurrection, as the explanation of what it means in v. 5 that Christ conquered: by that death, He purchased and created a kingdom of priests. The fact that there is no explicit mention of the resurrection in the interpretative section of the hymns in vv. 9-14 is noteworthy and underscores the ironic nature of Christ’s victorious death. The point of this is likely to emphasize the fact that it is through death — the way of the cross — that life comes, and that saints through the ages should take comfort in this truth even during their present sufferings. The redemption or purchase of men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation is a redemption which comes to people regardless of race. It is a redemption designed to save some from throughout the people groups of the world. It is a redemption without distinction, not a redemption without exception (people from all races), as 14:3-4, 6 will make clear.
10 These redeemed saints, people of every nation, have been made a kingdom and priests, and they (will: see below) reign upon the earth. This is just as Daniel (7:22, 27) prophesied when he likewise spoke of the saints being given a kingdom and rulership over the nations of the earth, but what the elders are singing goes back even farther, for it is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to Moses that if Israel obeyed His voice, He would make them a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exod. 19:6; see also on 1:5-6). This deliverance has come, even as did the deliverance through Moses, by the sacrifice of the Passover lamb. But whereas Israel was chosen instead of any other nation (Exod. 19:5) to become a kingdom and priests (Exod. 19:6), now God’s people are chosen “from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (v. 9). This means that the Exodus ideas of the kingdom and priesthood have been universalized and woven in with the concept of the Israelite saints’ universal kingdom of Daniel 7. God’s people have been delivered not from Egypt but from the rule of Satan, and they will enter not an old earthly Promised Land but one that covers the entire coming new earth. The slain lamb of the Israelite cult has become the end-time king of the cosmos.
The influence of Daniel 7 and of the Passover lamb from the preceding context continues in vv. 9b-10. Exodus 19 has been drawn in on account of its dual association with the Passover and the concept of the kingdom in Daniel. When Rev. 5:6-8 is seen together with vv. 9b-10, two more essential elements are added which correspond with the Dan. 7:9ff. model that chs. 4–5 have been following so far: Christ’s sovereignty over all tribes, tongues, peoples and nations, and the reign of the saints over a kingdom. These saints have already been made a kingdom and even now have taken up their rule (reign could be present or future tense, depending on which Greek text is used, but the present is more likely). The kingdom of the new creation has broken into the present, fallen world through the death and resurrection of Christ. The new creation (3:14-15) has commenced in the present through Jesus’ death and resurrection, which is witnessed to elsewhere in the NT (2 Cor. 5:15-17; Gal. 6:14-15; Eph. 2:15; Col. 1:18). This rule is exercised now in a real but limited way, triumphing through the way of the cross, but will be fulfilled triumphantly in the kingdom of the final new creation.
11-12 Like the song in vv. 9-10, this hymn further interprets the slain but risen Lamb’s reception of the book to mean that His death and, implicitly, His resurrection made Him worthy … to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and glory and honor and blessing. John sees a great heavenly host — myriads of myriads, that is, millions, and thousands of thousands, exactly as in Dan. 7:10. The contents of this cry of praise before the heavenly temple, with its mentions of power, riches, might and glory, are strikingly similar to those of David’s prayer at the dedication of the materials for the earthly temple (1 Chron. 29:11).
13 The hymn in vv. 13-14 underscores the point of the prior hymn in vv. 11-12 by further interpreting one more time the slain but risen Lamb’s reception of the book to mean that His death and resurrection made Him worthy to receive praise and glory. Not only the heavenly host, but now every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea is giving glory to God and to the Lamb. God is mentioned as glorified together with Christ in order to highlight that Christ is in the same divine position as God and likewise is to be glorified. The glory of God and the Lamb, which is grounded in their sovereignty, is the main point of the ch. 5 vision, and thus of chs. 4 and 5 together. This appears to be a glimpse into the future, where even God’s enemies will bow the knee before Him, and is strikingly similar to Paul’s declaration (Phil. 2:10) that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth and under the earth.” Rev. 5:9-12 and 5:13 are good examples respectively of the “already” and “not yet” time reference of chs. 4–5 in particular and of Revelation in general. The evil rulers and earth-dwellers will be judged because they do not submit to and praise the sovereignty of Christ while they live on earth.
14 The vision ends with a final response of renewed worship by the living creatures and elders, the heavenly representatives of animate creation and of the church, confirming the hymnic praise ascending from the earth by respectively pronouncing a final “Amen” and worshiping. What is striking about this concluding section (vv. 9-14) in relation to Dan. 7:13-27 is that both present in the same order
although the fourth element is not as emphatic in Daniel as in Revelation.
On the sovereignty of God in human history. This vision is shot through with allusions to various passages in Daniel. The angels of Daniel 4 and of this vision proclaim a message from the presence of God that ultimately He alone has power over history. Daniel’s experiences show how God demonstrates His lordship over unjust governments and calls His servants to obey Him, even when it may cost them their lives. Christians today in many nations are faced with the same choice. What message does the angel of this chapter bring to them? How can God be said to be sovereign when His servants must sometimes suffer hardship and even death? What comfort does the vision of a heavenly council of God bring to us? How do we understand the care of God to be expressed to His people as the trials of chs. 6–22, pictured as part of the predestined plan of God, unfold?
On the meaning of an “as-slain” life. The commentary expresses the view that the perfect participle “as slain” (representing an ongoing reality or condition) in v. 6 expresses the fact that it is the slain Lamb who is presently ruling beside the Father in heaven. What is the significance of this? How does living a life shaped by the cross test our faith in the sovereignty of God? How does the concept of triumph or overcoming in Revelation overturn the normal meaning of those words? How important is it for Christians to model the “as-slain” lifestyle of the Lamb? What happens when we move away from this pattern? What implications does this have for the church’s posture under hostile governments? What temptations are there for Christians in nations where the church is relatively influential? What is the balance between being salt and light in a society and desiring that our moral views be adopted by others in the culture? What are the implications of the “as-slain” model for Christians in politics?
On the present rule of the kingdom of God. If, as the commentary suggests, the saints have been made a kingdom (v. 10; see 1:6, 9), they have already entered into some form of kingdom authority. How is this authority exercised? How does its exercise relate to the “as-slain” life? What is the significance in this regard of the presenting before God of the prayers of the saints by powerful angelic forces (v. 8)? In what sense can it be said that the rule of Christ has broken into this present world?
On the glory of God and our corporate worship. If the main point of this vision, and also of the heavenly worship it portrays, is the glory of God and of the Lamb, how is this to be worked out not only in our personal lives but also in our corporate worship? What is the focus of our corporate worship? Why is it that worship in our churches today sometimes degenerates into the pursuit of experiences or into a mode of entertainment? How are we affected in our understanding of worship by the culture of the world around us rather than by the culture of the kingdom of God as portrayed in this vision? How can worship convey an experience of God and hold appeal for unbelievers without being diluted from its biblical norm? How do we recover the true meaning of worship in churches where it has clearly fallen far from God’s standard?
On the glory of God and Christ. The main point of Revelation 4–5 is that the chief goal of God and Christ in everything is to glorify themselves. Does that not mean that God and Christ enjoy and desire being glorified? And, if so, does this not speak of what our chief goal in all things is? Should we not desire and enjoy God’s glory? And, if we do not, does that mean we are worshiping something else or even ourselves? Is there a theological problem in understanding that God wants to be glorified and to have everything revolve around Him and His interests, since 1 Cor. 13:5 says that true “love seeks not its own”? See John Piper, Desiring God (Portland: Multnomah, 1986) for an elaboration of the theme of God glorifying Himself, our desire to honor Him, its implications, and the possible theological problems in connection to it (on the above-proposed particular theological problem, see Desiring God, 35-37).
Dan. 7:9ff. has been seen to be the model which lies behind the vision of chs. 4–5 because of the same basic structure of common ideas and images, which is supplemented by numerous phrases having varying degrees of allusion to the text of Daniel. Of these various allusive references from Daniel (approximately 23), about half are from Daniel 7 and half from other chapters in Daniel. When the latter are studied, it becomes clear that they have parallels and themes associated with Daniel 7 and therefore may be present to supplement the interpretative significance of the scene of Daniel 7. The same supplementary approach was probably taken with respect to the allusions to the OT outside Daniel which were drawn into the portrayal (Ezekiel 1, Isaiah 6, Exodus 19). What better way to interpret the Daniel 7 scene than by drawing in parallel elements (themes, images, wording) from other theophanic (appearances of God), messianic, and eschatological sections of the OT? John may have turned his attention to Daniel 7 as a result of his attempt to describe a vision which was beyond description in human words but which corresponded in his mind to the theophanic visions of the OT, especially that of Daniel 7.
If this is the case, then we can say that John intends chs. 4–5 to depict the fulfillment of the Daniel 7 prophecy of the reign of the “Son of man” and of the saints, which has been inaugurated by Christ’s death and resurrection, that is, His approach before the throne of God to receive authority. Further, the combination of such scenes as Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 1–2 with the predominant one of Daniel 7 expresses a judgment nuance in the vision, since these scenes all serve as introductions to an announcement of judgment upon sinful Israel or the nations. The idea of judgment is also connoted by the image of the “book,” which has been described in language from Ezekiel 2, Isaiah 29, Daniel 7, and Daniel 12. Each of these contexts has the central idea of judgment, but again together with ideas of salvation or blessing. Since Dan. 7:10 is the predominant influence for the “book,” the nuance of judgment is probably more dominant, especially when seen in relation to the following chapters in Revelation, which announce judgment.
Even as the main point of ch. 4 was the giving of glory to God, so the main feature of ch. 5 is the same giving of glory to the Lamb, even by those who have rejected Him. The elders glorified God because He is the sovereign Creator of all things (4:11). This sovereign Creator is also, together with the Lamb, praised in 5:13 because of what He has done to redeem His creation. The parallels show that John intended to draw an integral interpretative relationship between God as Creator and God as Redeemer through His work in Christ. This suggests that the Lamb’s redemption is a continuation of God’s work of creation. Chs. 4 and 5 reveal that God’s sovereignty in creation also makes Him sovereign over judgment and redemption, both of which He accomplished through the work of the Lamb. The concluding hymns in 4:11 and 5:9-13 bear out that this idea is the main theme of the two chapters, since these hymns function as interpretative summaries of each chapter. The work of Christ is a continuation of God’s work in creation in that it causes all creation to return glory to its Creator, whether willingly or by force, as the following chapters reveal. The verbal links between the hymns in chs. 4 and 5 also mean that God’s control of the whole creation mentioned in 4:11b is specifically accomplished by Christ through His death and resurrection and through the Spirit whom He imparts to His people in order to follow in His path and to convict the world of sin. In this sense, the vision given in these chapters already sets forth the truth of what is portrayed in chs. 21 and 22, where the purity of the Garden is restored in the new Jerusalem. This indicates further that chs. 4–5 portray a scene of the “already and not yet” new creation. This analysis shows that the goal of God in everything is to glorify Himself, to enjoy that glory, and to have His creation enjoy glorifying Him forever.